Nothing ever happens to us by 'chance'. Our little trials, our great troubles, our heavy crosses, our painful losses, are all a part of God's plan! Nor did He plan afflictions for us merely haphazardly; He planned them because He saw that we needed them. He intended to make them rich blessings to us. Every … Continue reading Every Trouble is a Blessing
How are we to respond when suffering enters our life? This short sermon preached at First Artesia CRC looks at a passage of Scripture filled with bright hope in the middle of what is likely the saddest book of the Bible. Exploring Lamentations 3:21-31, we will see six ways we should respond when we are … Continue reading Suffering? Now What?
As Christians, we all struggle with spiritual drowsiness. Thankfully, Romans 13 addresses this directly and provides us with encouragement and guidance to fight against it. This short sermon preached at First Artesia CRC explores three questions. What does it mean to be asleep spiritually? Why do we need to wake up? How do we wake … Continue reading A Spiritual Wake-Up Call
After Daniel had been delivered from certain death by a revelation given to him by God, he praised God and said, “He knows what is in the darkness.” Once we understand it, this truth should fill our hearts with joy. This sermon preached at First Artesia CRC looks at the context of Daniel chapter 2 … Continue reading The Lord Knows What Is in the Darkness
Dear Brother or Sister, I have come into your sick-room, as it were, and wish to tell you a few things for your comfort and profit. God has seen fit to stop you in the midst of your busy life, and to lay you aside for a while. It is not by chance that His … Continue reading For Those Whom God Has Afflicted?
What is “the good life” according to the Bible? I recently introduced this topic with a short article called, To Love Life and See Good Days, but this weekend, I had the opportunity to expand on it at First Artesia Christian Reformed Church. Too often, we look for the good life in the things of … Continue reading Living the Good Life
The following is by Pastor Rob Golding of First Artesia Christian Reformed Church. He also writes for the Westminster Theological Seminary Magazine. What is the book of Ephesians all about? The goal of this post is to help you remember just that. To do this, we will use the acronym P.U.R.E.L.Y to recall the main point of … Continue reading A Summary of Ephesians [+ Infographic]
Do you have joy inexpressible and full of glory (1 Peter 1:8)? I like this question because it speaks to our experience. The truths of scripture are true regardless of how we feel, so we should never put our sympathies above scripture, but when scripture speaks of the Christian experience, we should pay attention to … Continue reading Joy Inexpressible and Full of Glory
There is blood on your armor. It is bent, marred, and scarred with years of service, and your body is worn, tired, and giving way. Not too long ago, your armor was shiny and new. Still wet from the baptismal, you looked down the long and narrow path ahead of you, took your sword into … Continue reading Christian, There is Blood on Your Armor
The following is a post by Pastor Rob Golding of First Artesia Christian Reformed Church. He also writes for the Westminster Theological Seminary Magazine. In The Edge of Eternity, Randy Alcorn imagines what it will be like to experience true joy in heaven, as compared to the joys we now experience. The man who enters into the … Continue reading The Joy Beyond the Pain
The Fight of Faith 